I'd like to personally thank all of you for reviewing but that would take too long and you want to read right?? Hehe, well hears ...wow! Chapter 20 already! That deserves a party!! Well, maybe a cake--- or a review? In a party card of course! Ok enough with my mindless ramblings, here's the next chappie---not the best I think, just events after the dance again and hopefully it will pick up the pace in the next chapter!

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Hermione rushed to her first class that day, carrying two more books for her other classes. She still had about five minutes, but she liked getting to her classes a little earlier. She was thinking about the conversations that she overheard that morning in the dorm. She knew they were talking about her and Harry when they thought she wasn't listening. Most of the gossip was coming from Parvarti and Lavender wouldn't stop talking about how she never realized how 'incredibly blue Ron's eyes were'. Thus, that was another reason she wanted to get to class a few minutes before it started.

She walked into Charms and said good morning to Professor Flitwick. Only a handful of students were in the class and she spotted Harry alone without Ron. It was one of the few classes she had with Harry and she walked over to him.

"Good morning," She said smiling, knowing it wasn't the first time she said it today, as she took Ron's seat.

Harry looked up at her happy face and smiled back weakly, "Morning."

"Something wrong?" She asked. She could tell something was on his mind and it troubled him. She knew that look on his face, it was the same one she got used to seeing last year: aggravated and short-tempered.

"No, no. I'm just tired, that's all," He lied and tried to look convincing. Remember? I'm the one who can get though anything thing, he thought bitterly. No, actually, I'm not all right and I hate lying and sugarcoating my feelings around you and everyone else. He slightly turned back to his book.

"Harry, you can tell me," She said but she was interrupted. Class was called to order and Ron walked up to get to his desk. She moved to her usual seat in the front and opened her book to the assigned page. When she got the chance, she pretended to look like she was checking the time on the clock behind her.

Her eyes traveled to Harry and Ron. Harry was hardly concentrating on Flitwick's lesson and Ron wasn't even trying. There was a tension between them and Harry had that disturbed look on his face again. She resumed to the lesson and the pages in front of her, but the thoughts in her head were distracting her.

She wished she knew what bothered him. She wanted to be there for him but he always turned away to be alone. Why can't he let me help him? She thought to herself. Just think of his past and what he's been though, she argued back. It's none of your business. She knew that, but she wanted to be a part of it.

~`+`~

Lunch came by to everyone's relief. The teachers assigned longer and more difficult homework now that the excitement of the dance was over, and it was hard to get used to. Harry sat in silence, his appetite lost again. Ron sat directly in front of him, and was even picking at his food.

He put his fork down and spoke quietly under the busy chatter around them. "Look, I'm sorry, really. I didn't mean to make you mad. What I said was none of my business, and I'm a jerk I guess," He mumbled.

Harry shrugged and stayed quiet. Then after was seemed like hours, he said, "Forget it---and you're not a jerk." He was still annoyed about what he said but he didn't want to give Ron the silent treatment.

"Oh come off it, I can be a jerk sometimes," said Ron.

"Well----yeah, you can," Harry said. He laughed and all the weight of being mad at Ron came off his shoulders. Ron smirked, but he was happy. He had his best friend back.

Hermione skipped up to Harry and Ron and let her books thump on the table, "Sorry, I was taking extra notes after History of Magic."

"But we didn't even take notes!" Ron pointed out.

"Well, it doesn't hurt to write the lesson down to study for tests!" She said cheerfully, now that she sensed the tension between the two had gone.

The Owl Post came in and the owls, as usual, swooped in and delivered letters and boxes. Hegwid flapped her large, white wings down to Harry's side. She came with nothing but she nuzzled up to Harry, hoping for a free treat. Hermione paid a grey-feathered owl for a Daily Prophet and fed it a piece of bread crust for the journey back. She missed the paper that morning and she felt like she needed to know from time to time what was happening outside of Hogwarts. The owl flew away and she opened the paper. She glanced at the front page and a pain hit her in her chest. She briefly looked at it and set it back down.

Curious about why she neglected the paper so fast, Harry reached out for it, "Can I see it for a minute?" Hermione nodded and went back to eating her lunch quietly with her head bowed down. Harry read the headline and had a feeling he knew why it had made her uncomfortable.

`'`'`'`

MUGGLEBORN ATTATCKS RISING, THREE INJURED

On the content streets of London on Burbank and Shore St., three Muggleborns were approached and attacked at 10: 37 PM. The five cloaked men/women have not been caught or identified.

"We do not have any doubts that it is the same group of Purebloods that attacked muggleborn wizard, Joseph Amistad, this previous Tuesday," exclaims official Marty Shunt of the Ministry of Magic, " The rate of crimes against Muggleborns have been steadily going up in the last month."

From the...

`'`'`''`

Harry stopped reading and put the paper back down. Hermione was still eating and stared down at her plate. Ron took notice of the headline and scowled, "Oh, I saw that this morning," He murmured angrily, "From what I've heard, they're not direct Death Eaters of You-Know-Who. Just young amateur wizards who follow Him," He spat and mumbled something about the 'stupid prats being bias'.

"Hermione, are you ok?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," She said and realized how much she sounded like Harry in Charms and she sighed, "It's just I can't understand how wizards and witches can convert to being so intolerant and...I don't know," She said softly and collected her stuff abruptly in her silent fury.

"I don't get it either," Harry said and had a sudden urge to comfort her. She stood up and smiled shortly and left for her next class.

~`+`~

February ended and the chill of winter slowly became engulfed by March's welcoming warmth. Harry and Hermione's detentions ended at the end of February and it, ironically, left Harry in a bitter mood. That night, Harry finished the last assignment for his detention and before he left he came to Snape's desk.

"I was wondering if I could have my belongings back now that my detentions have been served," Harry said in a patient manner, not wanting to screw it up and lose his chance.

"Your belongings, Potter? Tell me this. Why would I give your possessions back if I know you'll just go on another nightly trip with your Invisibility Cloak?" Snape said and shot daggers with his eyes.

Harry stood there waiting. He would not let Snape keep his things for his own entertainment.. Snape looked back up at Harry, still standing there, "Is there something you cannot fathom, Potter? The answer is NO!" He spat and Harry stormed out, trying to keep himself from raiding Snape's office for his cloak and Snitch.

Other than that, the weeks went on as usual. Their only worries were the work the teachers gave. Things were going better with Ron and Lavender, the more Ron got over his shyness for her. The walked to class more and Harry and Hermione would tag along sometime. They walked to Herbology one day and walked out to the greenhouses. It was a warm day and the trees swayed with the slight, cool breeze. Neville was in the middle of the trail picking up his books on the floor, along with his scattered papers. Hermione and the rest stopped to help.

"Thanks, guys. You didn't have to---" Neville said and he blushed. He ordered his papers back into the right books and someone from behind came up with a smug look on his face.

"Malfoy, get lost," Harry spat before Malfoy could add anything, but Malfoy ignored him.

"Potter, why don't you shut up and keep helping this dunce," Malfoy sneered as he walked by with Crabbe and Goyle. But then he turned around as a new insult brewed in his mind, "Of course, my father says---"

"Malfoy, get a life because your father has already lost his to Voldemort," Ron spat as he forced to say His name.

Malfoy's face started to burn and instead of glaring at Ron, he turned to Neville still kneeling on the ground, "From what my father tells me," he continued, "You are just as clumsy as your mother and father. But of course, they can't do much anymore can they?? Crazy, lying in St. Mungo's...."

Neville didn't stand up and tried to keep his eyes from spilling tears, but Harry jumped in front of Malfoy, with his wand pointed right at his face, "Take that back, Malfoy. Now," Harry growled as the rage rose in his chest. He wanted to see Malfoy in complete pain. Neville's parents didn't deserve what they got from Bellatrix, and Neville didn't deserve this from him.

Malfoy reached for the insides of his robes but Harry was too quick. He whipped his wand and cursed Malfoy with the first spell that came to his mind. Malfoy twisted up and fell on the ground. Crabbe and Goyle jumped back and watched in horror, now that they felt that they could do nothing. Harry cursed him again and Malfoy was hit with another surge of what felt like hot knives. He hated Malfoy, and he hated his father the Death Eater. Even more, he hated Bellatrix for ruining the Longbottom's' life and taking Sirius's. He once again swung his wand over his head but his hand was stopped as Ron caught his arm and pulled him back.

"LET ME GO!" He screamed but Ron pulled him back farther away, with Harry still struggling. Professor Spout came out and so did Pr. McGonagall, running out of Hogwarts. They were yelling at the group around Malfoy's crumpled body on the ground but Harry couldn't hear them. He was deaf to their scolding and other students stopped to see what was going on.

Professor McGonagall was in complete fury and her face was growing angrier by the second, "WHAT HAS HAPPENED HERE?? I WANT SOME ANSWERS NOW!" She bellowed and she looked at Harry, with his wand in hand, "Potter! I would think that after your last detentions you would have learned from them!! Apparently not, I see! Seventy points from Gryffindor and you'll come with me as we plan another detention!" She yelled and took Harry away from the scene. Pr. Spout uncursed Malfoy from a freezing spell and carried him away inside the castle.

Ron, Lavender, Hermione and Neville stood there watching them walk towards the castle. Neville rushed off without them to Herbology, even though Pr. Spout wouldn't be there. Tears stung his eyes and he was shaking out of embarrassment and agony. Ron and Lavender followed quietly together, and left without looking back. But Hermione wouldn't move. She had never seen Harry like that before. The fire in his eyes and the look on his face to create total pain towards Malfoy made her sick to her stomach. He had lost all sort of control of himself and she didn't want to know that side of him.

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Yikes, I didn't plan that really. I would of updated earlier but I was in writer's block on what to do. Don't worry, Harry will be back to normal by the next chapter. *hugs Harry*

I wish I could go into detail on things, like the new DADA teachers and meeting with Hagrid but that would push the plot farther away. So if you were wondering about that stuff, sorry!! Hope I get reviews for this chapter, the ending kind of scares me but hey, Malfoy's a jerk. No flames please... :(